1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to grease traps and refuse tanks and methods of servicing grease traps and refuse tanks. More particularly, the invention offers solutions for the construction and positioning of large grease traps, as well as monitoring and servicing of large grease traps.
2. Background Description
Restaurants and other commercial venues generate large amounts of waste that is disposed of down a drain. The grease, soap and semi-solids that are then introduced into the sewer system, may generate great hardship for those maintaining a city wide infrastructure. The excess waste can damage filtration and waste processing plants, as well as clog and damage pipes in the field. Many municipalities follow the Uniform Plumbing Code and require that commercial venues use grease traps or other solutions to limit the amount of effluent that they expel into municipality sewer lines. Also, if no such solution is used, clogs may back up a sewer, producing a sanitary sewer overflow. The United States Environmental Protection Agency may then fine the city or municipality if a sanitary sewer overflow occurs.
To combat this problem, many localities regulate how much effluent and waste a restaurant or other commercial venue may dispose of through the sewer and may suspend the venue's licence or impose a heavy fine if the limit is exceeded. Commercial venues have the option to use tanks, to let effluent and waste settle out of waste water before it is communicated to the city lines. The simplest tanks are large, underground enclosures that hold several hundred gallons of water and are located outdoors. The mixed waste water and effluent is introduced at one end and clarified water exits from the other end of the tank. These intake and output pipes are sometimes protected or baffled so that only material from a certain level of the tank may enter the outgoing pipe. Since grease and effluent floats, while semi-solids and other waste sinks over time, limiting the flow of material to a middle level of the trap improves the clarity of the water that is passed on. Once grease and sludge are settled out of the water, there should be a layer of fairly clear water that may be discharged to the municipal water system without fear of exceeding regulations. Since effluent and other wastes are trapped in the tank, frequent cleaning is mandatory so that effluent, grease or semi-solids do not build up to such levels where they may block or be expelled through the outgoing pipe of the grease trap.
Cleaning the trap is a messy and time consuming job. Scheduled maintenance helps to stave off trap overflow, but may prove to be uneconomical if the trap is not full. On the other hand, if a grease trap is full and there is no maintenance scheduled for that day, the venue may have to shutdown until a service can come and dispose of the waste.
Many venues have space restrictions. Restaurants in tight city locations do not have the space for a large, underground and outdoor grease trap, so they are forced to use small in-floor or under-the-sink traps. These grease traps hold only a few dozen gallons and may need to be emptied every day. The terms interceptor and trap may refer to different configurations in different parts of the United States. For the purposes of this application, interceptor and trap are used interchangeably.